Will Bingo Become an Olympic Sport?

The Olympics make for the most exciting time for lovers of sports around the world. In a bizarre move, people are now campaigning for bingo to be included in the action. The 2020 Olympics could be the centre stage for this hobby to join the ranks of an Olympic sport.

Where did it Begin?

The idea of Olympic bingo started off as a bit of a joke and a way for some sites to join in on the Olympic chat. Mecca Bingo was one of the largest proponents of the sport and they ran a poll for their players. This could be described as a PR stunt but the idea actually stirred up 95% of players to vote for the game to join the sporting showcase.

Since then, an application has been submitted to the International Olympic Committee to kick the process off in earnest. Then, a federation for the sport would need to be produced, who would decide on the rules, method of scoring and other details. Whether the sport will really be appearing in Tokyo is yet to be decided.

Who Would Qualify?

With no federation in place for bingo, there’s no real way to tell who would be taken into the Olympic Games. It could be a matter of rounding up all of the online rankings for players before pitting them against those in clubs.

We’d love to see players going head to head in tourneys of this size, marked on speed and accuracy. Of course, actual wins could not be a method of scoring as those are purely based on luck and not skill.

The rules would probably present quite the struggle to the Olympic Committee but we think it would be well worth the hassle to get bingo on our tellys.

Why Should Bingo Be Considered?

Within the petition, there are plenty of reasons for this to become an Olympic sport, here are a few examples:

The game requires skill and determination to win, just like most sports.

There are many more obscure sports within the Olympics and hundreds more that have applied to be included.

It’s a sport England would really excel at.

Teams would not have to be divided by gender so more players could potentially join in.

Not Just Bingo

There are plenty of unusual sports that have been making their way to the Olympic Games, not just bingo. Here are a few of the wackiest:

Floorball: This sport is kind of like ice hockey but without any ice, think skidding around on the lino in your socks. It’s definitely a niche sport but it looks pretty fun, we’d give it a go.

Flying Disk: Frisbee games might remind you of being at the park with your dog but Flying Disk is a legitimate sport. Teams contend to catch the Frisbee for points before the other players can get their hands on it.

Wushu: This combination of fighting and dancing originates in Asia. Contenders are marked on their fluidity, grace and advantages over their opponent.

Air Sports: This is an all-encompassing term for any sport that takes place in the air, such as gliding, hot air ballooning and even flying kites.

Bridge: The card game most commonly associated with older players, this game tends to have a bit more skill involved than bingo. This could be a gateway for non-traditional sports like Mah-jong, bingo or even Monopoly.

As you can see, bingo is far from the only zany sport that’s been put forward for the next games. Whether bingo has enough skill within it really seems to be the deciding factor for the games, as it will need to be proven that it’s not just a gamble.

What’s Next?

With enough support this game could be seriously considered but this is still a pipe dream at the moment. Mecca Bingo have stated their intention to follow up on the application as soon as the Rio Olympics are over, so keep your fingers crossed.